Life Goes On
by Traci
Summary: Goren feels responsible when a jogger is raped in a park nearby during the blackout of 2003.


Disclaimer:  Not mine, never have been, never will be – no matter how much I beg and grovel.  Uh, anyone know how to get mud stains off of clothes from groveling?  Anywho, the following character and such belong to Dick Wolf, etc… and also Vincent D'Onofrio and Kathryn Erbe for wonderfully bringing these characters to life each and every week – wow, that was sickingly sappy.

Rating:  Strong  PG-13

Category: Case, rape, drama, G/E friendship

Spoilers: None that I am aware of.

Author:  Traci

Archiving and Feedback: Yes to amorous intent and anyone else just email me – I promise I'll say yes.  Feedback to traci_ann@yahoo.com

Summary:  Eames and Goren are following up on a case in Brooklyn when the great blackout of 2003 hits.  Yet, for NY, crime goes on as normal.  The cell phone lines are jammed preventing calls.  A Good Samaritan tries to call in a gang rape but can't get through.  How will Eames and Goren react when they find out it all occurred only four blocks from where they were?  Wow, I really suck at summaries.

Author's Notes:  Thanks to Tracy once again for taking time to look over this for me and letting me bounce ideas off of her.  You're the best! 

Life Goes On

"Mrs. Hegard, do you know where your husband's storage unit is located?"  Detective Robert Goren asked the question as sympathetically as he could while keeping up a professional level.

The older woman, wringing her hands together, shook her head.  "No.  He… he never told me about a storage place or anything."  Her tears fell, landing on her well-worn hands.  "I… he…"

Alexandra Eames reached over and touched the woman's arm.  "It's okay, Mrs. Hegard, we just need to look at it for clues as to who killed your husband.  Did he have any keys around that you don't know what they are for?"  The petite blonde looked across the room to her much taller partner.  

"Y… yes, in the kitchen.  I'll go get them."  She excused herself.

"What do you think?" Alex asked.

"She… she's hiding something but I don't believe it's about a storage unit," he replied.

The woman returned, handing a bag of keys to Alex.  "Maybe these can help you," she said, her voice shaking.

Alex nodded and stood up.  "Thank you, Mrs. Hegard."

"I am sorry for your loss," Goren added.

Just then the house fell into total darkness except for the slivers of light breaking through the worn curtains.

"Oh dear!" cried Mrs. Hegard.  "I paid the electric bill."

Eames pulled out her cell phone and tried to make a call.  "Dead," she told them, closing the flip-cover.

Observing the elder woman's distress, Eames and Goren helped her search for candles and flashlights and promised to let her know what was going on when they found out.  When they exited the house, they saw neighbors outside, all without electricity as well.

"Over use?" Eames asked. 

Goren nodded.  "It's summer.  It's hot.  It's humid.  That would be my guess."

She nodded and climbed into the driver's seat of the SUV.

From the car, they watched as scores of Brooklyn's residents wandered out of businesses and homes.  

Turning on the car radio, they heard the announcement that most of the Northeast Corridor was in blackness and it extended well up into Canada.  

Again, Eames tried her cell.  No luck.

Goren attempted the same.  His call would not go through either.  He looked to his partner.  "Should we try getting back or just wait here?"

"I think it might be best to wait here," she told him.  "Judging by the fact that so many are walking down the street I don't think the subways or anything are running either at the moment."

He nodded in agreement then pulled out the case file on Harold Hegard, deceased husband of Mrs. Eliza Hegard.  "Maybe Mr. Hegard has nothing to hide."

"Then why all the secrecy from his friends?"  Eames asked.  "Besides, Mrs. Hegard certainly is hiding something." 

"What if…"  He paused, gathering his thoughts.  "What if Mr. Hegard had a past from his days in World War II?  We already know he was a spy for the US government at that time.  It was not unusual for them to use archaeologists who were already working in foreign lands to spy on the goings on of that country."

"But what could he be hiding?"  Eames' eyes gazed towards the front door of the house.  "What could she be hiding?"

Goren thought for a moment.  "Did you see any artifacts in the house?"

"Such as?"

"An archaeologist might have.  Pottery, trinkets, small statues…  I saw nothing."

Eames shrugged then caught on.  "You think he smuggled artifacts back, maybe our government let him as payment for his services, but he either was afraid to have them displayed or, as a scientist, felt remorse for removing them?" 

Smiling, Goren nodded.  "I think when we find the storage unit we will find a museum."

*****************

Johnny Grattle jogged quickly through the small, wooded park in Brooklyn.  He was quite familiar with the layout as it was his daily jogging place, yet he still felt uncomfortable going through there.  Even with all the people in the streets during the blackout, the tiny, remote park was still deserted.

"Help!" came a muffled plea.

He stopped for a moment, glancing in the direction of the cries.  Almost as quickly, he picked up the pace and ran off, pulling out his cell phone to call 911.  He tried getting the call through for nearly twenty minutes before he was able to talk to an operator.  "A gang carrying guns was raping a young woman," he panted, out of breath.  "It happened about twenty minutes ago."  He told the operator where it had happened and hoped the victim was still alive.

******************

Eames jumped when her cell phone rang.  She wrinkled her nose at Goren as he laughed.  "Eames."  She listened.  "We'll be right there."  Hanging up, she looked at her partner.  "There's been a gang-rape and murder."

"How are we supposed to get there?" he asked.

"Walk.  It's only four blocks away," she told him, getting out of the SUV.

****************

Goren and Eames approached the police standing by the body.  

An officer turned to face them. 

"I'm Detective Eames," Alex told him.  "And this is my partner, Detective Goren.  What happened?"

The officer shook his head.  "The witness said it happened just after the blackout started." He sighed.  "Victim is female, approximately twenty-five."

Goren and Eames followed him to a patch of shrubs where the female jogger lay, half-clothed and covered in blood.

"The witness said there were about four or five men, all with guns from what he could tell."

"Why didn't anyone get here sooner?" asked Goren.

The officer shrugged.  "The witness said he called as he jogged past the scene but couldn't get through.  The cell circuits were jammed immediately after the blackout started.  He said it took him a good twenty minutes to finally get through."

By this time, Goren was kneeling beside the body.  "Did he give a description of the men who did this?"

"Just over the phone.  With traffic what it is, he is unable to get to the station to give composites."

"What happened to you?" Goren whispered to the body.

**********************

Two hours later, Eames and Goren walked in silence back to the car.  

They sat for a few moments, both absorbing the information they had been given regarding the rape in the park.  A rape and murder that had taken place as they sat four blocks away.

"Bobby, there was nothing we could have done differently," Eames softly told him.

"We were right here.  If only we had gone to the park instead of sitting in the car she might still be alive," he said.

Alex swallowed hard.  She knew her partner well enough to know he was going to blame himself for this.  He would beat himself up over it with 'what ifs' and there would be nothing anyone could say or do to stop him.  Reaching over, she covered his large hand with her smaller one and smiled at him when he looked over.  "You know what makes you such a great detective?"

Confused, he shook his head.  

"You care.  You care beyond what you're supposed to." 

"It still didn't help her," he whispered.

"It will help you find the creeps that did it," she offered.  "That will help her family find some peace."

Nodding, he gave her a thin, grateful smile back.  

Eames pulled her hand back and they stared out of the windshield.

"Think we're going to get home tonight?" Goren asked.

She laughed.  "It's not looking too good."  Turning on the radio, they found that the city was grid locked with pedestrians.  "Good thing we brought the SUV because it looks like this is where we're sleeping tonight," she sighed.

 ********************

The following morning, Alex stretched and moaned.  Sleeping in a car, no matter how big, was never good for the muscles.

"Be glad you're the size you are," Goren groaned, trying to work the kinks out of his neck. 

She put the sit back up in a sitting position and also stretched her neck.  "Any idea if the electricity is back on yet?"

"According to the radio, most electricity is back but they are urging people to treat this as a snow day and stay home.  But I think we can safely make it back to the station."

"Thank goodness," she sighed, starting the car.

"And Alex?"

"Hmm?"

"Thank you."

Her eyes met his.

"Thank you for being the voice of reason sometimes.  I know you're right about not being able to change what happened…"

"But you still blame yourself on some level."

His look answered her question.

Giving him a small smile, she said, "At least you admit I'm right for once."

**********************

When they arrived back at the station they found their boss, James Deakins, looking about as horrible as they felt.  They figured he had ended up sleeping in his office.

"Eames.  Goren."

"We couldn't get back, Sir," Eames offered.

"I know.  Go home.  Both of you.  It's been a long night for everyone."

Goren shook his head.  "The rape/murder case…"

"Is being taken care of.  Give any information you have to Franks."

Eames looked at Goren then back to Deakins.  "This one is important to us," she told him.  

He looked up from his desk and studied both their expressions then nodded.  "Okay.  But still go home and get some sleep before you start on it."

"Any case that is left for twenty-four hours drops to a less-than-fifty percent chance of being solved."  Goren stood his ground.

"Goren…"  Deakins paused.  "Did either of you get sleep?"

Nodding, Goren told him they slept in the car.

Obviously not happy about it, Deakins accepted the answer.  "Alright, but if either of you find yourselves too tired to continue…  Technically neither of you are supposed to be at work today as per the mayor."

"Thank you," Goren told him, walking out the door.

"Eames," Deakins said causing her to stop.  His eyes locked with hers, telling her what he was thinking.

She nodded before following her partner to their desks.

When Eames returned to her desk, she found her partner already going over their report again.  "Maybe we should hand it over."

"No, I can't," he told her without looking up.  

She sat down and watched him for a few moments.  "Bobby," she quietly said.

His eyes, a deeper brown than she had ever seen and full of guilt, met hers.  "Alex." 

With that she nodded and turned on her computer.  While she knew finding random rapists in a city the size of New York was like finding a needle in a haystack she had to at least try, if not for the victim's sake then for her partner's.

By early afternoon, the preliminary lab report had come back.  It confirmed the jogger had been raped by at least five different men and that she had died from suffocation.  They were unable to match the DNA with anyone already listed in their computer system.  

Goren tried to hide a yawn, but Eames caught him.  

"I'll stay and work on this, you should go home and get some sleep," she told him.

He smiled.  "You didn't sleep so well yourself you know."

She shrugged.  "I probably got more than you did, though.  Go home.  I'll call you if anything comes up."

"I… I can't.  She deserves better than that."

Eames' shoulders slumped slightly in defeat.  

"Eames.  Goren."  Deakins walked over to them.  "I just got off the phone with District 5 in Queens.  There's been another attack."

Goren and Eames glanced at each other.  

"Details are sketchy at best at the moment, but the victim is being taken to Beth Israel as we speak."

******************

"I'm Detective Goren and we're here to see the rape victim that was just brought in."

"Which one?" the nurse at the hospital coldly asked.  

"She would have been brought in from Queens.  A gang-rape attack," Eames offered.

Looking through a small stack of folders, the nurse pulled one out.  "She's in ICU.  It's down the hall to the left."

They arrived at ICU and were immediately stopped by another nurse.  "You can't go in there, I'm sorry," she told them.

Eames pulled out her badge.  "We need to speak with the victim."

The nurse shook her head.  "She's in a coma."

Goren, who had been watching the woman through the window, asked, "What's her condition?"

"Not good," admitted the nurse.  "I sent the rape kit to the lab already.  She's suffering from three broken ribs, punctured lung, and a concussion.  When she arrived here she was also suffering from massive internal bleeding."  She glanced at her patient.  "I really don't think she's going to make it through the night."

"Was there any identification on her?" Goren asked.

"None.  She must have lived around there and was just out for a jog in her own neighborhood."  

The nurse left them.

Eames watched Goren as he watched the victim.  "There's nothing more we can do here.  Why don't we go investigate the scene?"

Without a word he followed his partner out.

**************************

The drive to Queens was a quick one since most people had listened and stayed home the day after the blackout.

Eames pulled up to the police line and turned the SUV off.  Goren was out of the car and heading to the scene before she even had a chance to open her door.  She caught up with her partner as he was explaining to one of the officers at the scene that they were part of the case even though technically it was out of their jurisdiction.  

"We were the first detectives on the scene in Brooklyn," he explained.

"I'm sorry," the officer told him.  "As far as we know this it not related to that case."

With a smile, Eames stepped forward.  "We are only trying to solve this just like you.  We don't want to see any more women hurt by these men.  Do you think it would be alright to just talk to the officer in charge and maybe compare notes?"  She continued to smile.

The officer studied her for a moment, contemplating what she had said, then nodded.  "Alright.  Wait here, I'll get Sargeant Harris."

Goren looked down at his partner.

She smiled up at him.  

A conversation passed between them but the only words said aloud were, "Thank you," from him. 

Harris walked over to them and extended his hand.  "I was told you were the officers on the case in Queens yesterday?"

Goren nodded.  "We believe they may be connected."

"If we work together on this maybe we can catch them faster,' Eames offered.

Harris, obvious enamoured by Eames, quickly nodded.  "Sure."  He lifted the police tape for her to walk under.

She grinned at Goren when Harris let the tape fall before he had a chance to walk under.  "What do you have so far?" she asked as they walked to the crime scene.

"Not much," Harris admitted.  "Victim was found alive, barely, but so far we've found nothing in the way of evidence at the scene."

Observing the surroundings, Goren quietly walked off as Harris and Eames discussed the case.  He walked over to where the body had been found and stood staring at the spot in the underbrush.  If only they had stopped them yesterday… if only they hadn't lazily sat in the car… if only… He felt a light touch on his arm. 

"Bobby?"

"We should have stopped them, Alex," he whispered.

For a brief moment, her eyes filled with tears but she quickly fought them.  She had never seen her partner feel so personally responsible for something he had no control over.  Gently, she tugged at his arm.  "Let's go.  We can't do anything more here.  Harris gave me some of his notes and is going to send the report over as soon as it's finished."

They had just about reached the SUV when Goren glanced off to the side into the woods.  There he saw a group of about four or five teenage boys milling around.  He took off.

It took a moment before Eames even realized her partner was missing.  She took off after him, gun drawn.

"Hey!" he called out to the boys.

Startled, they looked up then took off.

Seeing what was occurring, Eames yelled back for the other officers to pursue them.

Within moments, three boys were rounded up.  Goren had lost sight of who he perceived to be the leader and returned to Eames and the other officers.

The boys continued to struggle even with the handcuffs on.  They ranged in age from twelve to sixteen.

"Who is he?" Goren demanded.

None of them spoke.  

He stepped closer only to have Eames pull him back slightly.  "You can save yourselves if you tell us who your leader is," he growled.

The eldest boy snorted.  "Pig.  Like we'd tell you and ruin all our fun."

"Shut up you idiot!" snarled the middle teen.

"I think that makes for at least enough to hold them on," Eames stated.

"Get them to the station," Harris ordered then turned to Eames and Goren.  "I am assuming you both would like to question them as well?"

"We're right behind you," she told him.

Once again, Eames and Goren headed back to the SUV.  "You caught them," she offered, knowing it would be little comfort.

"Not all of them," he countered.  He stopped walked.  

She turned around.

"I guess I owe you another thank you," he said.

Alex shook her head.  "If it weren't for the fact that I didn't want to have to break in a new partner, I would have let you at them."

He smiled at her.  "Then I guess I should be grateful I'm such a good partner."

"Yeah, that's it," she said, rolling her eyes.  "Now I think we have some suspects to interrogate."

************************

"The twelve year old confessed," Harris told them as they walked into the observation room.  "He confessed to both rapes, also told us of two more.  Officers are heading to both those scenes as we speak."

Goren walked over to the glass barrier and watched the young boy.  "Did he…"  He turned to face Harris.  "Did he give the names of the others?"

Harris nodded.  "They're looking for them now."  His cell phone rang.  

Eames stood beside Goren.  "It's over.  You did help her.  You caught the monsters that did this."

He merely nodded.

Harris hung up the phone. "That was the hospital.  She didn't make it."

"May I speak with him?" Goren asked, indicating the twelve year old.

Eames opened her mouth in protest but Harris answered "Yes" before she had a chance to argue.

Goren walked into the interrogation room followed closely by Eames.  He sat across from the child.  

"What do you want?" the kid hissed.

"Nothing.  I was just… You had your whole life ahead of you.  Why did you do it?"

An evil grin spread across his lips.  "Because I can get away with it.  I'm only twelve.  I'll go to Juvie for a few years, get out at eighteen with a new name and a new life."

"Is that what you really believe?" Eames interjected.  "Who told you this?  Your leader?"

The kid nodded.  "Yeah, we'll all go free.  We're all under eighteen.  They can't try us as adults."

Goren sighed.  "Two murders, maybe more depending on what is found at the other two sites.  For that you can be tried as adults.  You are all looking at the very least life in prison."

The kid's eyes grew wide.  He looked to Eames.  

She nodded in confirmation.

Tears filled the boys eyes.   "I… I didn't mean to hurt them."

Disgusted, Goren stood up and walked out. 

Eames stopped at the door.  "The guilt act isn't going to work.  We have this all on tape."  She slammed the door behind her.

She found Goren sitting on a bench just outside the police station.  The sun was setting, leaving a pink hue over the city.  Quietly, she sat beside him.

"He was twelve.  He knew what he was doing but thought he found a loophole in our system."

Eames nodded.  "But he didn't.  None of them did.  Harris told me they caught the other two outside of an arcade across town."

Goren nodded.  "What about the other two attacks he confessed to?"

"Confirmed.  They found the victim's bodies just where the kid said they would."  She paused.  "They will be tried as adults and at least two of them will probably be eligible for the death penalty."

They sat in silence for a few more moments until Eames stood up.

"I was hoping to have a dinner date tonight," she said.

He looked up at her.  "Harris?"

She smiled.  "He gave me his number."

Goren looked away.  "He seems like a good cop."  He looked up at her once again when she took his hand in hers.

"I was hoping to have a dinner date with another good cop."

A smile grew on his lips and he stood up, his hand still in hers.  "And how many good cops do you know, Alexandra Eames?"

"A few.  But I only know one really great one."  Standing on her tiptoes, she placed a gentle kiss on his cheek.  "And I want to show him how much I appreciate him."

His smile faded.  "I don't know if I'd be really good company tonight."

She wasn't taking 'no' for an answer.  "Bobby, even at your worst you're much better company than most.  Would you just let me take you out to dinner?  It's the least I can do for the man who single-handedly stopped a gang of rapist from terrorizing New York.  If you want, consider it a thank you on behalf of all the women out there that you just saved."

His eyes locked into hers.  He squeezed her hand.  "What if I only care about one woman in New York?" he whispered.

She froze.  Her heart stopped.  Before she realized what was happened, she felt his lips brush against hers.

He stepped back and let go of her hand when she didn't respond.  "I'm sorry, Alex.  I shouldn't have…"  Turning to head back to the car, he added, "Maybe dinner isn't such a good…"  In an instant, she stood before him.

"Dinner is a very good idea," she told him with a smile then reached up, wrapped her hands behind his neck and pulled him down for another kiss.  A real kiss.  It remained soft and gentle but real nonetheless.

She smiled at him as they broke apart.  "I just wasn't expecting this."

"If it's not what you want…"

Eames stopped him with a finger on his lips.  "It's exactly what I want, as long as you're sure it's what you want."

Robert Goren found himself staring down at his petit partner with what he figured to be the goofiest grin.  "I'm very sure."

The lights lit up New York once again as they drove away from the station.  The Great Blackout did not bring terror or panic.  It had not been the end of the world.  Life had gone on as usual.  Crime, though not completely obliterated, had slowed for at least one day.  And with the blackout came the joining of yet another pair of hearts.

The End


End file.
